Galaxy S10E could be Samsung’s answer to the iPhone XR

Picture this. The Galaxy S10E, which is said to cost around Rs 61,000 in Europe, will be available in a choice of peppy colours, including yellow and blue. It will offer some of the high-end features of the vanilla Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ like the same Exynos 9820/Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and punch-hole Infinity-O display, at a relatively more aggressive price. If all of this sounds familiar, well, you’re not the only one. The Galaxy S10E (formerly rumoured to be the Galaxy S10 Lite) could be Samsung’s answer to Apple’s iPhone XR. 

Samsung’s purported Galaxy S10 line-up has been leaking left, right and center but while most reports seem busy painting a pretty picture of the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+, the Galaxy S10E has seemingly been left out of all the conversation. A set of new leaks, however, shift the focus on Samsung’s alleged ‘affordable’ Galaxy S10E, or Galaxy S10 Lite, or whatever the company decides to call it. Ahead of Unpacked 2019. And by the looks of it, the Galaxy S10E could be one of the most exciting announcements.  

The biggest reason would be its pricing. While the standard Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ will reportedly start at Rs 70,000+ and Rs 80,000+ respectively, the Galaxy S10E will cost at around Rs 60,000. In Europe, that is. In India, we can expect the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10E to cost slightly lower than their European counterparts. 

Samsung will launch the Galaxy S10-series at its upcoming Unpacked 2019 keynote event on February 20

Like the iPhone XR, the Galaxy S10E is said to have the same core innards as its bigger, more expensive siblings. Which means, the same Exynos and Qualcomm chips and possibly the same primary rear and front cameras. It will reportedly come with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, and going by Samsung’s track record, micro-SD storage expansion is expected. It is also said to retain Samsung’s new Infinity-O notch display which means, much like the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+, the Galaxy S10E will also have a punch-hole selfie camera. 

But being an affordable option means, the Galaxy S10E would cut some corners. It will reportedly come with a smaller 5.8-inch (likely Super AMOLED) screen with a flatter bezel as opposed to the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ which will retain Samsung’s hallmark curves on all sides. The Galaxy S10E is also said to pack a conventional fingerprint scanner as opposed to the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ which will come with in-display fingerprint scanners. In the Galaxy S10E, the power button on the side will double as a fingerprint scanner, which isn’t ideal, but certainly not new for a Samsung phone. Lastly, the Galaxy S10E is said to come with dual rear cameras and will be powered by a smaller 3,100mAh battery as well.  

But where the Galaxy S10E will fall short in terms of top-tier design, it will more than compensate for through its unique colours. Like the iPhone XR, the Galaxy S10E will reportedly be available in choice of colours, including Canary Yellow, Prism Black, Green, White and Blue.   

Now, Samsung is yet to officially confirm the existence of the Galaxy S10E. The same is true about the vanilla Galaxy S10 and the high-end Galaxy S10+ which will reportedly have a maxed-out variant with 12GB RAM, 1TB storage and a ceramic back, a first for Samsung. But we do know that Samsung will launch the Galaxy S10-series at its upcoming Unpacked 2019 keynote event on February 20. So it won’t be long before the cat is out of the bag.   

Also Read:Samsung Galaxy S10 Line-up Will Reportedly Start At Around Rs 60,000, Top-end Galaxy S10+ To Come With 12GB RAM, 1TB Storage And Ceramic Back